Megawati opposed to Dharma Wanita

YOGYAKARTA: Chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle Megawati Soekarnoputri said the organization of civil servants wives (Dharma Wanita) must be disbanded because it institutionalized the subordination of women to men.

The establishment of Dharma Wanita during the New Order era sidelined women's role in social, political, economic and cultural sectors, Megawati said during a seminar here on women's leadership on Saturday.

"Such positioning of women (in Dharma Wanita) resulted in a pattern which always puts women on a lower level than men," Megawati said.

She noted that many politicians used the issue of gender to undermine her bid for the presidency. (23/edt)